She would pursue them, he urged, as the other had done, and meet with a similar fate.
This might have succeeded, but it would have been a dangerous experiment.

Lucien suggested that two of them should go round the edge of the precipice and examine it more carefully, while the third kept a watch upon the bear.

Perhaps there might yet be found some other path that led to the plain.

This offered but a faint hope; still it would take only a few minutes to make the examination, and Lucien's proposal was therefore agreed to.
"If we only had a rope," suggested Francois, "we could let ourselves over the cliff, and then the old grizzly might stay there for ever, if she pleased." "Ha!" shouted Basil, as if some plan had suddenly come into his mind, "what dunces we have been! Why did we not think of it before?
Come, brothers! I'll get you down in the twinkling of an eye--come!" As Basil uttered these words, he strode off towards the spot where they had butchered the big-horns.

On reaching it he drew his hunting-knife; and having spread out one of the skins, proceeded to cut it into strips.
Lucien, at once guessing his design, assisted him in the operation; while Francois was sent back to the head of the ravine, in order to watch the bear.
In a few minutes the brothers had cut up both of the hides, until the ground was covered with long strips.